Albert Rohan

The former deputy UN mediator for Kosovo status, Austrian diplomat Albert Rohan, during a lecture given Monday night at the European Club, accused the government of Serbia of being the main destabilizing factor and formentor of violence in Kosovo.

"Belgrade is manipulating with Serbs, supports them financially, but the actual intention is the creation of a Serbian entity," said Rohan. "One thing must be clear: there is no going back from independence," he added.

Rohan expressed his dismay that the Ahtisaari plan was not approved by the UN Security Council due to the political refusal by Russia and added that "if Serbs continue refusing to cooperate, a great deal of the Ahtisaari plan, particularly decentralization, will be impossible to implement."
 
Belgrade is manipulating with Serbs of Kosovo, said the Austrian diplomat, the former UN mediator on the status of Kosovo, Albert Rohan. Belgrade is responsible for all the turmoil caused in Kosovo. The Serbian regime is accusing Kosovo Serbs as traitors if they cooperate with Albanians, even threatening their lives, said Rohan.

The Balkans expert during his speech gave a gloomy prediction about the future of multiethnicity in Kosovo, again, accusing Serbia of instilling violence and embracing policies of apartheid by manipulating with innocent people. Serbia has a history of imposing segregation and apartheid against Kosovo Albanians as well as committing unspeakable atrocities. Additionally, Rohan spoke of his experience and information he gathered during the drafting of the Ahtisaari plan, mentioning that a multiethnic society does not have an “integrative perspective for now.” The best case scenario is that Albanians and Serbs will live next to each other, peacefully. Explaining the reasons of the current events, Rohan accused the nationalist history of Serbia that has created an artificial myth out of Kosovo.
 
He praised the vigilant actions of Albanians, who have acted with restraint since the declaration of independence. Rohan stressed his disappointment that the Ahtisaari plan of supervised independence was not approved by the UNSC due to an obscure Russian blockage. Also, a possible partition of the northern Kosovo would have caused a massive migration of Serbs from the southern enclaves.
 
Rohan said that the Orthodox Church leaders in Kosovo have disagreements within them. They are fractioned into groups. A great number of them want to live in independent Kosovo with the exception of Bishop Artemije, which Rohan labeled a militant leader of Serbian nationalism, rather than a religious one.
 
Islam in Kosovo does not pose any threat; however, the Orthodox Church is playing a very negative role by deeply getting involved into the political life of local Serbs. Catholicism, a great supporter of independence is an exemplary of tolerance, stated Rohan in response to a follow-up question.
 
Serbia's election in May will be decisive for its future. Serbia will have to choose between EU and the East. "The Russian opposition against Kosovo is not an amicable gesture towards Serbia, but the opposite."
 
"Again, one thing must be clear: there is no going back from independence of Kosovo," said Albert Rohan, the former UN mediator on Kosovo status.

Comments (7)

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bluerose799 said:

It's about time to recognize the historical right of Kosova (Dardania) to have its destiny fulfilled-That is full independence. Kosova never was a Serbian province. It was there, since the times of birth of European civilization, a very distinct Dardanian/llyrian identity. Always populated by Dardanias who, although under constant pressure of forcefully migration by Serbian Shovinism, Tito's Yugoslavia & Milloshevic's Serbia, still make up 92% of the population. They speak ilirian language with the dialect GEGE. Serbs always have been a minority there. We know that Serbs appeared in Balkans (then llyria) only by the 6th Century AD, and they speak a language more similar to Ukrainian then Russian. They have always been a minority and 'the story' of Kosova being the Heartland of Serbia is just a pure Serbian nationalist fantasy. Facts Speak Louder Than Words and Serbian’s Lies Will Collapse by Themselves. Serbs always have been considered as oppressors there, not just by Albanian majority, but also by other ethnic groups too. Serbs just occupied Kosova during the rise of the Serbian nationalism early 20th century from Ottomans, who by then were loosing the Balkans after 500 years of occupation. The borders of Kosova are well established and recognized. Now Kosova should be Free! http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/62/094.html I can’t comprehend how a minority of 7% of the population, pretend to take off the land, the language, culture and the life of the rest of Kosova. Kosovars have the right to live free and independent in their land where they are born, generation after generation, live and will die. http://www.gendercide.org/case_kosovo.html

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April 17, 2008
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albi said:

I finished reading, a little too late I guess, Branimir Anzulovic's book titled "Heavenly Serbia". We Albanians in the Republic of Albania have never cared much about Serbs and Serbia, and so we are not very familiar with them and their ideology. According to Anzulovic, the three pivotal figures of Serbian culture are: (1) St Sava, who brought Byzantine style government and church to Serbia; (2) Dositej Obradovic, who was an 18th century pro-western modernizer; (3) and Njegos, the 19th century orthodox bishop and priest who wrote "The Mountain Wreath" and inspired much Serb aggression and violence. According to Anzulovic, "The Mountain Wreath" was the most widely read literary work among Serbs, its influence "similar to that of the Bible in Protestant countries." It provided the ethic of the Serb nationalist movement. Anzulovic concludes that in the end "The mountain wreath" is a call to genocide, something that was first pointed out by Montenegrin Stanko Cerovic. One is left wondering whether there is any hope of Serbia changing its medieval ways...

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April 17, 2008
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Kujtesa said:

	AlBin Kurti 1 Kosovo gov. 0
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April 11, 2008
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magoichisaika said:

	Serbs have always been problem-makers. This is no surprise.
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April 10, 2008
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frig said:

	this guy is fasist
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April 10, 2008
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vasa dodenc said:

	Mr Rohan is wrong all wrong It's all clear in his comments he is a Serb Hater no doubt about that Please read carefully and you will cometo the same conclusion He is the problem maker
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April 10, 2008
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ergaomnes said:

	oh Finally very coherent and very clear statement on the REAL situation.... Exellent lecture mr.Rohan
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April 09, 2008
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